Improvement in nut-locks



C. G. LEA. Nut-Look.

No. 216,870. Patented June24,1879.

N. PETERS. FHOTO-UTMDGRAPNER. wASHlNGTON, D. C,

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIGE.

CHARLES G. LEA, OF ALTON, ILLINOIS.

y IM PROVEM ENT IN NUT-LOCKS.

Speciication forming part of Letters .Patent No. 216.870, dated June 24, 1879; application tiled April 11,1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CEAS. G. LEA, of Alton, in the county of Madison and State of Illinois, have invented a new and Improved Combined Fish -Plate and Nut-Lock for Railroad-Rail Joints; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of my device applied to a rail-joint, the nuts being unlocked. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, showing the nuts locked. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional View on line .fr x of Fig. 2.

The object of my invention is to provide a means for locking the nuts of iish-plate bolts; and it consists in constructing the fish-plate with a series of angular projections equal in number to the bolts used, and a series of slots through which the bolts pass, so that after the nuts are screwed up into position the tshplate can be driven longitudinally with the rail until the projections come in contact with the nuts.

.Spikes being driven through the flange of the usual holesfor the reception of the fish-plate bolts. The outside fish-plate, B, conforms'to the shape of the rail, so as to lie against the web, and has a flange, F, extending out over the base ofthe rail. In the portion of the outer fish-plate lying contiguous itc the web of the rail are a series of slots, b b, corresponding in number to the bolt-holes in the railends, and 1n the edge of flange F are punched holes-g g for the reception of spikes. i

Struck up transverse to fiange F are a series of angular projections, ff, for a purpose hereinafter set forth. The inner fish-plate, (l, is punched with holes to receive the bolts D, the heads of which rest against it. The nuts el have interposed between them and the rail washers e, whose ends conform to the curvature of the rail. The length of these washers throws the nuts out from contact with the rail, and to a suflicient distance to insure a contact between the nuts d and the projections f when the fish-plate is in position to lock the nuts.

The locking operation is as follows: rIhe {ish-plate B is laid against the rail ends with the bolt-holes coincident with the end of the slots farthest from the projections If. The

washers e are passed over the bolts andthe nuts 0l screwed down. Then the device is in the position seen in Fig. l.

By a proper tool or other means the outer fish-plate is then driven along the rail until the bolts reach the opposite ends of the slots Vb. This leaves one face of each nut resting against the faces of the angular projections, as seen in Fig. 2. Spikes are then driven through the holes g into the ties to prevent the plate B from moving, and the nuts are then all securely locked.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a railroad-rail joint, the fish-plate B, provided with irregular projections j', to lock the bolt-nuts d, for the purpose described.

2. The rails A Aand bolt I), in combination with plate Gand plate B, provided with slots b, projections j', and holes g, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. The bolts D, rails A A, plates B C, and nuts d, in combination with the elongated nut c, having one face corresponding in shape to the-iish-plate, as described.

.CHARLES G. LEA. Y Witnesses:

WM. D. HODGE, N. O. HATHEWAY. 

